Parties celebrate I-day in Pondy

Puducherry, Nov 1 (UNI) With no response from the government on celebrating November 1 as the Independence Day of Puducherry instead of August 16, the French India Viduthalai Kaala Makkal Nala Iyyakkam and the Communist Party of India today celebrated the occasion on their own.

While the Iyyakkam, striving for the cause of people who opted Indian citizenship at the time of the merger of Puducherry with Indian Union, took out a procession and garlanded the Gouberet Statue inside the Bharathi Park here, the CPI hoisted the tricolour and the party flag atop the party office at Mudaliarpet and at several places in Puducherry to mark the occasion.

Superintendent of Police (North)Sivadasan told UNI the Iyyakkam was given permission to hoist the tricolour and its flag at Muthialpet only.

However, with the CPI hoisting the flag at Muthialpet, they came in the procession and were informed they could not hoist or tie any flag at the Bharathi Park without the permission of the Puducherry Municipality and police. They, later, garlanded the statue and dispersed.

According to CPI State Secretary Na Ra Kalainathan, it was on October 31,1954 the agreement for liberation of Puducherry (Pondicherry) was signed and the national flag hoisted atop the Rajnivas on November 1. Hence, they demanded to celebrate November 1 as Independence Day.

UNI PAB GM SW SSC1315